Durham's season in review

After slashing the wage bill by a third, expectations were not great and they were further reduced by four seam bowlers missing large chunks of the season through injury.

Chief among them was Graham Onions, whose 70 championship wickets last season came down to 12. And with home pitches becoming more batsman-friendly, the struggles to bowl sides out saw Durham under threat of relegation a year after winning their third championship in six seasons.

The gut-wrenching one-wicket defeat at Old Trafford left them next to the bottom with four games left. But with Chris Rushworth producing a sprint finish to his personal marathon they rallied magnificently to win the next three.

That coincided with the run of six successive wins, interrupted by a washout, which took them to Lord’s glory in the Royal London Cup final.

That really was a bonus, considering they had lost three of their first four games in the competition, which followed another modest Twenty20 campaign.

Attendances were in line with the general disappointment following the ECB’s gamble on promoting the event as the NatWest T20 Blast with the group games extended from ten to 14, played mainly on Friday nights.

Other than in attracting 6,747 for the Yorkshire game, when Jonny Bairstow rewarded the fans with the ground’s first T20 century, scored off 57 balls, Durham’s biggest crowd was 4,300 for the Sunday afternoon visit of unattractive Derbyshire.

Attendances were generally around 3,500, whereas four of last year’s five home games topped 5,000, and Durham were left wondering whether a 5.30 start was too early.

They have been considering installing permanent floodlights, which would allow a later start, for many years. But the financial situation remains delicate.

Bairstow’s century was the first of two feats of incredible hitting in T20 matches at Riverside. His second 50 came off 18 balls. At the start of the 19th over he was on 71 and drove Gareth Breese’s first three balls over the rope at long-on. He went to his hundred off the penultimate ball, with a pulled six off Rushworth.

The second feat was by John Hastings against Northants. Going in at 73 for five in the 11th over, he reached Durham’s fastest 50 off 19 balls and finished with 80 off 26. The last ten balls he faced yielded 44 runs, including five of his eight sixes

Paul Collingwood

The four-day captain had said this would be his final season, but so enjoyed his discovery of an elegant cover drive that he signed for another year. He began with a century against Durham University, scored his first championship hundred for two years in the penultimate home game and added another in the final one. He now stands only two behind Dale Benkenstein’s record of 21 first-class centuries for Durham and has passed the South African’s record of 9,055 first-class runs for the county. He also led the Most Valuable Player rankings in the Royal London Cup, in which he started with a century at Taunton and was the most economical bowler of those who took more than ten wickets. His heroic hundred at home to Nottinghamshire rescued his side from 83 for five in the second innings and came after he had taken three for 26, his best four-day haul since 2008. His judgement was called into question when, in two successive games, he inserted the opposition and saw Yorkshire amass 426 at Headingley and Warwickshire 472 at Riverside. Otherwise he was above criticism.

Mark Stoneman

The one-day captain enjoyed the glory of leading the side to the Royal London Cup, in which he scored a match-winning century in the quarter-final win at Headingley. One of his three championship hundreds was also against Yorkshire at Riverside, and he repeated last year’s achievement of reaching 1,000 championship runs in the final match. In all, he made four first-class centuries after starting with a ton in the MCC v Champions curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi. He faded slightly towards the end of a season in which he scored a career-best 187 and shared the county’s record second-wicket partnership of 274 with Scott Borthwick at home to Middlesex.

Keaton Jennings

Only 22 and still learning, especially as his enthusiasm means he wants to play in everything. Developing one-day skills, which even included bowling, may have interfered with his four-day forte as he faded badly after a good start, which produced half-centuries in each of the first three matches. At home to Yorkshire there were 60 overs left when Durham followed on 201 behind and slipped to 42 for four. But Jennings batted through for 54 not out to secure the draw. He also scored a half-century at Headingley to follow his one hundred at home to Sussex.

He made nought in four of his last five innings, but learning how to get through a long, hard season is all part of the development for a player whose future still looks bright.

Scott Borthwick

Earned his place in the record books by becoming the first Englishman to score a double century for Durham at Riverside, making 216 against Middlesex. He also scored 176 against the same opponents at Lord’s in becoming the first home-grown batsman to score 1,000 championship runs twice. His tally of 13 championship wickets, however, indicated that his leg-spin bowling is not developing as hoped and his omission from this winter’s England Performance Programme is significant. After bowling 28 overs in the first match at Northampton he was very sparingly used, other than on the used pitch at Old Trafford, where he got through 49 overs in Lancashire’s first innings for a disappointing return of two for 158. His most notable one-day contribution was in scoring 67 and taking three wickets in the RLC match at Hove.

Michael Richardson

His fighting qualities helped him to make a success of his move up the order and he completes a top four who should stand Durham in good stead for several years. Ever-present in the championship, scoring two centuries, and also took up the wicketkeeping gloves again towards the end.

Ben Stokes

After missing the first six weeks with his self-inflicted broken wrist, his four-day batting never quite hit the heights of his early years.

But after his shock omission from the England squad for the Test series defeat by Sri Lanka, he was the match-winner at home to Sussex with his first ten-wicket match haul, which included his career-best seven for 67 in the first innings. The highlights of his season were his man of the match performances in the semi-final and final of the Royal London Cup. At home to Nottinghamshire he broke his own record for Durham’s highest individual one-day score, the 150 not out he made in a 40-over league match at Edgbaston in 2011. He also took Durham to their record one-day total of 353 for eight. In hitting six sixes in his 164 the first 50 came off 47 balls, the second off 37 and the third off 21. In the final he took two wickets and secured victory with an unbeaten 38.

Phil Mustard

A strange season for the Colonel began with his promotion two places up the order to No 5. If it was meant to make him bat more responsibly it had a detrimental effect, other than in the Royal London Cup. His initial response was to make a restrained 91 at Northampton, but in 19 subsequent championship innings he passed 25 only twice. Still only 31, he has been virtually ever-present for ten seasons but was dropped at the end of this one as his wicketkeeping had also fallen below the expected standards. At home to Sussex Luke Wells was caught in the slips via Mustard’s gloves in both innings and the wicketkeeper finished with seven catches and three assists. Still the one-day opener, his only T20 half-century came at home to Derbyshire, when he took nine balls to score one then scorched to 50 off 25 balls. The only other sighting of his explosive power was in the RLC semi-final, when after completing a diligent half-century he burst into overdrive before being run out for 89.

Gordon Muchall

Under the reduced terms of his new contract he was not expected to play any four-day cricket, having not appeared in the championship last year. But he came in for the fourth match and missed only one more, despite failing to build on his magnificent 158 not out at Trent Bridge. It raised the question of why hadn’t he done it more often, but the question remained unanswered as his subsequent top score was 74 not out at Lord’s. Being shuffled around the order from four to eight probably didn’t help. A place in the lower middle order allowed him a number of one-day cameos without anything substantial.

Chris Rushworth

Beer-swilling fast bowlers must be a thing of the past. Rushworth said his decision to give up drink for a year had a marked effect on his fitness and while the rest fell down he was ever-present in the championship and played most of the one-day games. While always chipping in, he was without a five-wicket haul until he took three in the last two games, boosting his total of championship wickets to 64.

His match figures of 20-3-95-15 against hapless Northants beat Durham’s record match haul of 14, set by bowling coach Alan Walker at Chelmsford in 1995. From Rushworth’s first wicket to last spanned 13.2 overs. He took the first eight in the first innings, finishing with nine for 52.

John Hastings

The Duke arrived on the last day of May and departed in mid-September, missing the Royal London Cup final as his summer was topped and tailed by sitting on the bench for Chennai Superkings. What a waste. He gave the impression he would have sweated buckets all season for Durham, notably in bowling his heart out in an effort to avert the one-wicket defeat at Old Trafford. He also made 83 there, having first shown some prowess with the bat at home to Sussex, when he took 25 balls to get off the mark then stroked his way confidently to 51.

Calum MacLeod

Recommended by Collingwood after his winter coaching stint with Scotland, MacLeod made a dream debut after a month’s trial in the second team, scoring 80 in the first T20 match at home to Worcestershire. In the same competition he hit four sixes in sharing an unbroken stand of 126 with Hastings in 8.2 overs against Northants.

Also impressed on his championship debut with 84 at Old Trafford. His athleticism in the field was highlighted by two crucial, spectacular catches. One was a leaping effort at gully to hold a fierce slash by Michael Lumb in the home championship win against Nottinghamshire and the other involved a twisting leap at mid-on to get rid of Chris Woakes in the Royal London Cup final. At least it meant he made his mark at Lord’s after mustering a total of 11 runs in his last six RLC innings.

The failings showed there are technicalities to be worked on.

Mark Wood

Had two five-wicket hauls before anyone else managed one, but was restricted to seven championship matches by side and ankle injuries.

His explosive burst of fast, swing bowling at Headingley saw Yorkshire slip from 270 without loss to 291 for five and showed why he is considered such an exciting prospect.

Paul Coughlin

The 21-year-old seam bowling all-rounder from Sunderland made an instant impact on his championship debut at home to Lancashire, which brought Durham’s first win in the eighth game. Going in at 184 for eight, he survived a streaky start to make 85, the top score by a

Durham No 10. He also shared the county’s record ninth-wicket stand of 150 with Mustard and followed up with three for 42. Had the honour of playing in the RLC final and deserved more than his four championship appearances.

Graham Onions

Looked out of sorts in early season after missing the MCC v Champions match and broke down with back trouble in the fourth game at Hove.

Returned after two months to take one for 121 in the home thrashing by Warwickshire then picked up some RLC wickets before suffering a side strain in delivering his third ball at home to Nottinghamshire. His season was over.

Usman Arshad

Made a promising start and impressed when injuries meant he was called on to open the bowling at Trent Bridge. But that was his last championship appearance as back and foot injuries intervened. Also had his confidence dented in the home T20 match against Leicestershire. He had conceded only three runs in his first over but began the second with a wide, conceded two off his one legitimate ball, then bowled two no-balls above waist height and had to be removed from the attack. It brought an unnecessary reprimand from the ECB.

Gareth Breese

Earned all the headlines for hitting the winnings runs in the RLC final, in which he took three wickets, held two catches and scored 15 not out. It was meant to be a fitting farewell after 11 years’ service, but he had to suffer with the rest in this week’s mauling at Edgbaston.

Kumar Sangakkara

In the first of his two matches he recorded a second-ball duck and a streaky 14, caught at second slip off Ryan Sidebottom in both innings at home to Yorkshire. But he then tuned up for Sri Lanka’s two Tests with a diligent 159 at Hove.

Peter Chase

Hastily registered with four bowlers injured, the 20-year-old Irish seamer marked his debut by taking five for 64 in the second innings at home to Nottinghamshire. Although not particularly quick, he used his 6ft 4in frame to hit the pitch quite hard. Played two more games and

topped the bowling averages with 11 wickets at 15.8, but he is contracted to Cricket Ireland, so his future with Durham is uncertain.

Ryan Pringle

Endured a chastening first-class debut at Taunton in May, when Durham were left with only two fit frontline bowlers and he came up against Marcus Trescothick in full cry. His off spin seemed to take a back seat to his batting in second X1 cricket and when recalled for the final

match he top-scored with 63 not out at Edgbaston but was given only three overs.

Also a season of struggle for Ryan Buckley, whose one senior appearance was ruined by illness, while left-armer Max Morley, who was on a development contract, has been released. So spin-wise Durham face a dilemma.